Technical Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a process unit that includes a remover to remove a substance adhering to a photoconductor and an image forming apparatus, such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction peripheral including at least two of copying, printing, facsimile transmission, plotting, and scanning capabilities, that includes the process unit.
Description of the Related Art
There are image forming apparatuses such as printers, copiers, facsimile machines, and multifunction peripherals (MFPs) that include a photoconductor, serving as an image bearer to bear an electrostatic latent image and a toner image, and a cleaning blade to remove toner remaining on the photoconductor after the toner image is transferred from the photoconductor. Sheets of paper used as recording media leave paper dust and talc on the photoconductor. In an area adjacent to an end of a sheet area on the photoconductor in the axial direction of the photoconductor, substances including the paper dust as well as the talc, toner, and silica or the like released from the toner (i.e., foreign substances) are likely to firmly adhere. The length of the sheet area on the photoconductor in the axial direction corresponds to a largest sheet width that the image forming apparatus accommodates.
In removing such adhering substances with the cleaning blade, it is possible that an edge of the cleaning blade is damaged and the adhering substances escape the cleaning blade. Then, in the area adjacent to the end of the maximum sheet width, the adhering substances cause streaks or granular images.